Thin chassis near field communication (NFC) antenna integration

• US 9,083,073 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Songnan, Hsu, Hao-Han, Karacaoglu, Ulun, Konanur, Anand S, Hong, Yee Wei Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/536,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/895, 343/872, 343/866
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Described herein are techniques related one or more systems, apparatuses, methods, etc. for integrating a near field communications (NFC) coil antenna in a portable device. For example, the NFC antenna is integrated under a metal chassis of the portable device. The metal chassis and a conductive coating—that is integrated underneath the full metal chassis—are designed to include one or more slots to provide high impedance to Eddy current induced in the conductive coating.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory configured to the processors;

a near field communications (NFC) antenna configured to the processors wherein the NFC antenna is integrated underneath a metal chassis of the portable device, the metal chassis is constructed to include one or more slots that are perpendicular to Eddy current induced by the NFC antenna, wherein the metal chassis includes an embedded or attached conductive coating, the conductive coating is located between the metal chassis and the NFC antenna, wherein the one or more slots define an area in the conductive coating, the area includes one or more grounding points to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.

2. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more slots are constructed to include elongated slices that extend from the conductive coating and penetrate the metal chassis.

3. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein a grounding point for an area defined by the one or more slots is located at a middle of a perimeter side of the area.

4. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more slots define an area in the conductive coating, the area covers approximate extent of electromagnetic fields that induce the Eddy current to the conductive coating.

5. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more slots define an area in the conductive coating, the area includes a coil antenna configuration.

6. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more slots transform the conductive coating to be a transparent conductive coating for the NFC antenna to increase NFC field strength.

7. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the Eddy current induced in the conductive coating includes an opposite direction to a current injected in the NFC antenna.

8. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the Eddy current induced in the conductive coating includes a curvature direction and the one or more slots are configured to follow the curvature direction of the Eddy current in maintaining the perpendicular configuration.

9. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the coil antenna is made out of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a metal wire, created through a laser direct structuring (LDS) process, or directly embedded to the metal chassis and underneath the conductive coating.

10. A near field communications (NFC) antenna comprising:

a continuous loop of coil antenna that is integrated underneath a chassis of a portable device, the chassis is constructed to include one or more slots to provide high impedance to a current that flows in perpendicular direction to the one or more slots, wherein the chassis is a metal chassis that includes an embedded or attached conductive coating, the conductive coating is located between the metal chassis and the coil antenna, wherein the one or more slots define an area in the conductive coating, the area includes one or more grounding points to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection; and

an NFC module to tune the coil antenna.

11. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the one or more slots are constructed to include segments that extend from the conductive coating to the metal chassis.

12. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the current that flows in perpendicular direction to the one or more slots includes an induced Eddy current in the conductive coating.

13. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein a grounding point for an area defined by the one or more slots is located at a middle of a perimeter side of the area.

14. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the one or more slots define an area in the conductive coating, the area covers approximate extent of electromagnetic fields that induces the current that is perpendicular in direction to the one or more slots.

15. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the one or more slots defines an area in the conductive coating, the area includes a configuration to adopt coil antenna configuration.

16. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the one or more slots transform the conductive coating to be a transparent conductive coating for the coil antenna to perform NFC related functions.

17. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the current includes a curvature direction and the one or more slots are configured to follow the curvature direction of the current to maintain perpendicular configuration.

18. The NFC antenna in claim 10, wherein the coil antenna is made out of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a metal wire, created through a laser direct structuring (LDS) process, or directly embedded to the chassis and underneath the conductive coating.

19. A method of integrating a near field communications (NFC) antenna to a metallic chassis portable device comprising:

providing one or more slots in the metallic chassis, the one or more slots are constructed to extend from the metallic chassis to a conductive coating underneath the metallic chassis;

grounding at least one side of an area in the conductive coating that is defined by the one or more slots;

inducing a current to the area defined by the one or more slots;

providing high impedance to the induced current by configuring the one or more slots to be perpendicular in direction to the induced current.

20. The method in claim 19, wherein the induced current is an Eddy current that flows in opposite direction to an injected current injected in the NFC antenna.

21. The method in claim 19, wherein the providing the one or more slots includes construction of segments within the area in the conductive coating and extends to the metallic chassis.

22. The method in claim 19, wherein the grounding includes connecting the area to the conductive coating to maintain electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.

23. The method in claim 19, wherein the grounding at least one side includes a grounding point that is located at a middle of a perimeter side of the area.

24. The method in claim 19, wherein the area in the conductive coating includes a configuration that adopts configuration or shape of the NFC antenna.

25. The method in claim 19, wherein the Eddy current includes a curvature direction and the one or more slots are configured to follow the curvature direction of the Eddy current to maintain perpendicular configuration.

26. The method in claim 19 further comprising radiating electromagnetic fields by the NFC antenna to create the Eddy current.